Grandma Ida’s Russian Potato Salad with Anchovy, Garlic and Lemon

by Dorothy Reinhold on March 4, 2017


Print This Post Print This Post Russian Potato Salad, with crunchy radishes and celery, aromatic scallions, capers, dill and chives, draped in an umami dressing of anchovy, garlic, Worcestershire and lemon juice, is a wondrous balance of taste, color, temperature and texture.

We need a new potato salad recipe, don’t we, spud lovers? It’s coming up on Easter, and we need something lively to put beside the ham, and to eat with our sandwiches the next few days.

I have just the ticket for you today, with this incredibly flavorful Russian Potato Salad from a new cookbook that celebrates the potato in all its spudtastic glory.

Just feast your eyes on this beauty of a salad for a minute, and imagine the explosion of flavors going on here – a homemade mayo-based dressing infused with anchovies, mustard, garlic, Worcestershire, lemon and cayenne! WOW, does it ever sing!

Grandmother Ida's Russian Potato Salad square

The body of the salad has crunchy radishes, celery and cucumber, along with aromatic scallions, capers, dill and chives, cuddled up next to those glorious red potatoes.

SMASHED MASHED BOILED AND BAKED AND FRIED TOO!It’s from a new spud-centric book that feels like it was written just for me — “Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked – And Fried, Too!” by veteran cookbook author Raghavan Iyer (2016, Workman Publishing, $16.95). With 75 creative recipes, this is a tater tribute that spans the globe, covering culinary needs for finger foods, soups and salads to main dishes and even desserts. Yes, you can eat potatoes for dessert, and I will show you in a minute. The photos are gorgeous, and the recipes expertly written so that cooks of all abilities will have success.

Iyer got the recipe from his friend Scott Edwin Givot, whose grandmother was the originator.

Listen to what Iyer writes about this salad:

“Married at the age of 17, (Scott’s grandmother) was swept into her husband’s underground world of smuggling diamonds (in Scott’s father’s diaper when he was a baby!), drugs, guns and more. Grandma Ida’s ancestral roots were a hodgepodge, ranging from Crimean to Catalan, Hungarian and French. This Russian salad was special to her and Scott, a summer tradition they shared in the kitchen as she gave him advice on all that life could throw at him. ‘Even as a kid, I never minded the idea of the salty little fish being used in the dressing. It’s what gave the salad that undeniable umami flavor,’ Scott mused. ‘She always served it next to her sweet ‘n’ sour Swedish meatballs, which had a mellifluous tomato sauce punctuated with whole allspice. I loved both dishes and still make them to this day.’ “

Melissa’s Produce threw a party to highlight the book, and look what we got to eat:

(all recipes can be found in the book)

Mojito Potato Pomegranate Salad by Raghaven IyerMojito Potato Pomegranate Salad, with key lime, mint, a touch of sugar and white rum. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, isn’t it!

Cheesy Tarragon Tots by Raghaven IyerCheesy Tarragon Tots. Tots are what you want, and trust me, you’ll want a handful.

Potato Lasagna by Raghaven IyerPotato Lasagna, with both potato planks and pasta, but the secret ingredient is lemon zest in the ricotta mixture. Perhaps the best lasagna I’ve ever had!

Sweet Potato Rolls with a Creamy Cointreau Glaze by Raghaven IyerSweet Potato Rolls with a Creamy Cointreau Glaze. Can you say brunch?

Thick Cut Potato Crisps with Dark Chocolate by Raghaven IyerAnd yes, dessert was Thick Cut Potato Crisps with Dark Chocolate. I swooned, and snitched three. Look, there’s Halley’s Comet! Oops, I might have snitched four.

Are you drooling yet?

But back to our beloved Russian Potato Salad, which will be the solution to any ho-hum meal you have coming up, or a prized offering at a holiday get-together.

Iyer says this about it:  “A true fine balance of taste, color, temperature and texture.”

I say let’s make it. I’m on it right now. Are you?

Russian Potato Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Russian Potato Salad

Russian Potato Salad, with crunchy radishes and celery, aromatic scallions, capers, dill and chives, draped in an umami dressing of anchovy, garlic, Worcestershire and lemon juice, is a wondrous balance of taste, color, temperature and texture.

Ingredients

  • For the Salad
  • 1 1/2 pounds new red potatoes
  • 6 medium-size to large red radishes, scrubbed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
  • 4 ribs celery, leaves discarded, thinly sliced
  • 1 large English cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds discarded, and thinly sliced
  • 4 scallions, beards trimmed, green tops and white bulbs thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup baby capers, drained
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives
  • For the Dressing
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 2 egg yolks (see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns

Directions

  1. To make the salad, scrub the potatoes well under running water, cut them in half, and place them in a medium-size saucepan. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Briskly boil the potatoes, uncovered, until they are just tender but still firm, 12-15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the potatoes.
  2. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse them under cold running water to cool them down. Give the colander a few good shakes to rid the potatoes of excess water, and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the radishes, celery, cucumber, scallions, capers, dill, and chives to the potatoes.
  3. To make the dressing, place the anchovy fillets, egg yolks, mustard, and garlic in a blender jar and puree, turning off the blender and scraping the inside of the jar as needed, until smooth. Combine the two oils together in a small bowl. With the blender on low speed, drizzle the oils through the hole in the cover in a steady stream. Once the oils are added, you will have a thick emulsion, which is your own homemade mayonnaise. Add the Worcestershire, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and peppercorns and pulse the dressing to ensure a smooth mix.
  4. Pour the dressing over the salad and give it all a good toss. Serve at room temperature, but because this is a mayonnaise-based salad, do not leave it at room temperature for long periods of time.
  5. Serves 4.

Notes

Egg yolks: Raghaven Iyer says this: "The use of raw eggs and/or yolks is always a cause for concern in this day and age of salmonella. You may fall on either side of the argument -- should I use raw eggs from a source I am familiar with, or should I consider using pasteurized eggs? Pasteurized whole eggs are heated in the shell at a safe temperature for the requisite number of minutes to make the eggs safe for raw consumption. They certainly work well in any recipe that calls for raw eggs."

Recipe source: Raghavan Iyer, from "Smashed, Mashed, Boiled, and Baked – And Fried, Too!" (Workman Publishing), from an original recipe from Scott Edwin Givot.

Photo credits: Photos from the book by Matthew Benson. Photos from the party by Melissa's Produce.

https://www.shockinglydelicious.com/russian-potato-salad/

areyoupinningIf you like this recipe and want to save it, please pin the image below to your Pinterest board.

Russian Potato Salad by Raghaven Iyer on ShockinglyDelicious.comturquoise heart plateAnd stay tuned to ShockD for another recipe from the book: 4-Ingredient Sweet Potatoes with Chicken and Lemongrass. You’ll have an incredible chicken dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes with Chicken and Lemongrass

Disclosure: Melissa’s Produce and the publisher provided a copy of the book for review. Photos from the party are courtesy of Melissa’s Produce. Photos from the book are by Matthew Benson. 

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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

Laura March 10, 2017 at 1:59 pm

Radishes and potatoes – swoon! This potato salad looks and sounds amazing!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 11, 2017 at 7:26 am

Laura,
This has your name written all over it, flavor-wise.

Reply

peter @Feed Your Soul Too March 10, 2017 at 6:56 am

Recipes are so much better when passed down. I really like the addition of the anchovies.

Reply

Maeva @ Cook A Life! by Maeva March 9, 2017 at 10:22 am

Looks like a yummy salad and I love family dishes!

Reply

Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish March 9, 2017 at 5:57 am

I’ve never tried Russian potato salad! This looks great!

Reply

Platter Talk March 8, 2017 at 8:20 am

I love this new recipe! Anchovies are a secret ingredient in my lamb, too.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 8, 2017 at 8:23 am

Platter Talk,
Anchovies with lamb! How intriguing! I have to investigate that…heading over to your site to see what’s what. 🙂

Reply

Laura at I Heart Naptime March 8, 2017 at 7:47 am

This looks so bright and delicious – perfect for spring!

Reply

Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy March 8, 2017 at 6:34 am

This does not sound like any potato salad I have ever eaten. Some strong flavours going on there for sure. Interesting combination….especially the anchovies.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 8, 2017 at 8:19 am

Gloria,
Exactly right! The anchovies give it that umami touch, without it tasting “fishy.”

Reply

Winslet March 8, 2017 at 1:22 am

My whole family always loved my grandmother’s cooking, and we still remember it. As I read this recipe, I am remembering she used to prepare this dish during Easter and it was really delicious.

Reply

Aish Das-Padihari March 7, 2017 at 2:45 pm

The salad looks so comforting and so yum. My kinda food.

Reply

katerina @ diethood.com March 7, 2017 at 4:01 am

Oh yum!! This salad looks incredibly delicious!!

Reply

Kate Veggie Desserts March 6, 2017 at 11:57 pm

This is a fab version of potato salad. A great side dish for many a family get together.

Reply

Dee March 6, 2017 at 4:29 pm

We always have my grandma’s potato salad for Easter, but personally I love the added flavors in this one. May have to shake things up this year!

Reply

Jessica | Novice Chef March 6, 2017 at 3:33 pm

This sounds so much like what my grandma used to make when I was younger! It sounds delicious!

Reply

Jen March 6, 2017 at 3:04 pm

The flavors in this potato salad sound absolutely amazing!! This will be a great addition at our next BBQ!

Reply

Michelle March 6, 2017 at 1:21 pm

This is right up my alley! I love the flavor of anchovies in recipes. I even like them on pizza. Looking forward to trying this!

Reply

Katrin March 6, 2017 at 12:00 pm

Oh my, this looks so tasty. Grandmothers are always the best at cooking…. Absolutely mouthwatering!

Reply

Priscilla | ShesCookin March 6, 2017 at 9:14 am

I always think potato salads could use more crunch! Love the color and crunch that radishes add. I missed out on cheesy tots and chocolate dipped potatoes, waaaahhh!

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 6, 2017 at 2:41 pm

Priscilla,
Waaaaaah is right! You woulda LOVED the food at the party!

Reply

Renee - Kudos Kitchen March 6, 2017 at 8:40 am

I can tell just from looking at this potato salad that it will be my new favorite potato salad recipe. The addition of the radishes, capers and anchovies set my mouth to watering immediately!

Reply

Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine March 6, 2017 at 3:36 am

I’m a fan of any potato salad!

Reply

Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought March 5, 2017 at 10:04 am

I enjoyed all of the recipes I have tasted from his book so far. This potato salad is now on my list for our Sunday BBQ.

Reply

Dorothy Reinhold March 5, 2017 at 10:35 am

Cathy,
I am craving those tots, too. OH MY!

Reply

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